Dainty morsel of songbird off the menu

FRENCH gourmands are to be denied what one restaurant critic
describes as the "barbaric pleasure" of feasting on tiny songbirds
after their Government announced that it intended finally to
enforce laws that have been on the statute books for eight
years.

Long considered the pinnacle of gastronomic delight by the
French, the ortolan is a protected species after being hunted
almost out of existence.

The prized birds can fetch up to 150 ($A250) each if sold
illegally to restaurants.

Diners savour the ritual almost as much as the flavour. Francois
Mitterrand, the former French president, notoriously feasted upon a
whole one at his "last supper", concealing his head beneath a
napkin in the traditional manner.

Some say the napkin helps the diner savour the aroma, others
that it is intended to conceal his greed from God.

The more pragmatic point out that eating ortolan, which is
placed in the mouth whole and eaten bones and all, is a very messy
business.

France's League for the Protection of Birds claims ortolan
numbers have plunged 30 per cent in the past 10 years, with as many
as 1500 poachers catching an estimated 30,000 live birds a year in
the south-western Aquitaine region.

The maximum fine is 6000, but two of the three poachers
caught last year escaped with verbal warnings.

Last week, Environment Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet said
enough was enough. In future, she said, laws passed in 1999 to
protect the endangered species would be fully enforced.

The move brought predictable dismay. "I find it sad that we can
no longer serve ortolan in France, or woodcock for that matter,
while it is still possible to eat the latter in restaurants in
Britain, Spain and Belgium," chef Michel Rostang said.

Restaurateurs caught serving ortolans also face the 6000
fine and risk jail if they reoffend.

Officially, ortolan is off the menu at all French restaurants.
But Francois Simon, the restaurant critic for Le Figaro
newspaper, said some would still serve it discreetly.

Mr Simon said: "It's absolutely delicious: rather crunchy, with
the texture and flavour of hazelnuts." He admitted, however that
eating an ortolan whole was "quite monstrous" to watch. "Hence the
napkins."

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